Creature From The Black Lagoon
by Robbo
Posted on 15 July 2021
Rating -
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 American black-and-white monster horror film from Universal-International, produced by William Alland, directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva, and Whit Bissell.
The Creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and by Ricou Browning underwater.
Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed in three dimensions (3D) and originally projected by the polarized light method. The audience wore viewers with gray polarizing filters, similar to the viewers most commonly used today.
Because the brief 1950s 3D film fad had peaked in mid-1953 and was fading fast in early 1954, many audiences actually saw the film “flat”, in two dimensions (2D).
Creature from the Black Lagoon follows a geology expedition in the Amazon as it uncovers fossilized evidence (a skeletal hand with webbed fingers) from the Devonian period that provides a direct link between land and sea animals.
Expedition leader Dr. Carl Maia (Moreno) orders his two assistants to stay in camp while he visits the marine biology institute.
Soon after Carl leaves camp, a piscine amphibious humanoid, a living member of the same species from which the fossil originated, becomes curious about the expedition’s camp. When its sudden appearance frightens the assistants, they panic and attack, and in response, the enraged Creature kills them both.
Carl reunites with his friend and former student, ichthyologist Dr. David Reed (Carlson) who is a guest at Carl’s institute in Brazil to study lungfish. David persuades his boss, the financially minded Dr. Mark Williams (Denning), to fund a return expedition to the Amazon to look for the remainder of the skeleton.
The expedition sets sail aboard the tramp steamer Rita, captained by Lucas (Paiva) and consists of David, Carl, Mark, David’s girlfriend and colleague, Kay Lawrence (Adams), and another scientist, Dr. Edwin Thompson (Bissel). When they arrive at the camp, they discover Carl’s assistants have been killed while he was away. Lucas suggests it was likely done by a jaguar, but the others are unsure.
A further excavation of the area where Carl found the fossil turns up nothing. Mark is ready to give up the search, but David suggests that perhaps thousands of years ago, the part of the embankment containing the rest of the skeleton fell into the water and was washed downriver, broken up by the current.
Carl says the tributary empties into a lagoon. Lucas calls it the “Black Lagoon”, a paradise from which no one has ever returned. The scientists decide to risk it, unaware that the amphibious “Gill-man” that killed Carl’s assistants has been watching them.
Subsequent encounters with the Gill-man claim the lives of Lucas’s crew members, before the Creature is captured and locked in a cage aboard the Rita but escapes during the night.
David decides they should return to civilization but Mark, obsessed with capturing (or killing) the Creature, objects. As the Rita tries to leave, they find the Gill-man has blocked the lagoon’s entrance with fallen logs.
While the others attempt to remove the logs, Mark is mauled to death while trying to capture the Creature single-handed underwater. The Gill-man then abducts Kay and takes her to its cavern lair. David, Lucas, and Carl chase after the Creature, and Kay is ultimately rescued.
Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the later of the Universal Horror films and features an original monster, one that wasn’t found in books or from legend or folklore.
It is a story that has been covered many times, unknown creature discovered, creature becomes infatuated with and kidnaps girl, girl rescued and creature ultimately destroyed, ‘Was beauty killed the beast’.
As a big fan of classic horror films, Creature from the Black Lagoon is possibly one of my favourites. It is well written and well acted and you are completely consumed by the story. Yes the monster suit is a bit ropey but it all adds to the charm of the film and you do forget it’s a man in a suit.
Some of the underwater scenes featuring Kay Adams swimming with the creature hovering just below her are truly terrifying and would have a lasting legacy, influencing Steven Spielberg when he came to make Jaws.
Creature from the Black Lagoon spawned two sequels, Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) which features an early performance from a young Clint Eastwood.
Ever since the early 80’s there have been attempts to remake Creature from the Black Lagoon including John Carpenter in 1992, but nothing ever came of this.
The 2017 film The Shape of Water was partly inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s childhood memories of this film.
So as you can see, Creature from the Black Lagoon has had a lasting legacy and has influenced so many people. It is a film that I urge anyone to watch, even if monster based horror films aren’t your thing.
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